New Arrival
by RavenclawHobbit
Summary: Everyone at Whitwell is acting strange, and wee!Merry can't understand why! One shot, pure fluff :)


**A/N: According to the appendices of The Return of the King, Merry would be about 8 years old during this story. He acts much younger than that, though, because hobbits don't age as quickly as we do. Constructive Crit. is quite welcome, but no flames please! Thanks for taking the time to read!**

Merry crouched between the sofa and the wall, hands clasped tightly over his ears. He didn't know what was going on, but it was scary and he didn't like it.

First of all, his parents had woken him up in the middle of the night, bidding he get dressed and pile into the carriage with the moon still high in the sky. Neither would offer any explanation, except to say that they were going to Whitwell. Merry deduced from the looks on their faces that this was something unexpected, and also something worrisome. They spoke quietly to one another as they went, under the impression that Merry was asleep in the back seat. In reality, he was curled up in his favorite blue blankie, weary eyes shut tight, but unable to drift off.

They arrived just as dawn was breaking. Merry was tired and cranky, but Esmeralda and Saradoc seemed to have other things on their minds. Esmeralda took Merry's hand and led him swiftly up the path. Inside the farmhouse, a small cluster of adults had gathered in the front hall, exchanging anxious looks. They greeted the Brandybucks solemnly as they entered.

"How is she?"

"Fine, but the healer's worried. The little bairn is in a hurry, it seems." Said Ferumbras.

Merry was old enough to know that it was never good when a healer was worried. Why was she worried? Come to mention it, why did everybody seem worried? And where were Aunt Tina and Uncle Pal?

"Da, what's wrong?" he asked, tugging at his father's waistcoat. Saradoc didn't seem to hear.

"She's not due for another month at least!"

"Exactly why they're nervous. But it looks like the lass'll be born tonight or tomorrow."

"Or lad," someone pointed out.

"Or lad." Ferunbras amended.

None of this made the least bit of sense to Merry, and while everyone else was fretting amongst themselves, he found it easy enough to slip away. This was how he ended up behind the sofa—it was somewhere quiet where he could sit and try to process what was going on. The rumblings of his stomach told him it was growing near time for breakfast, but he didn't feel like emerging just yet. Why was everybody so confusing?

Then came the screams. It sounded as if someone was wailing in pain just upstairs. A chill ran up Merry's spine. He wanted to run and find his Mummy, but found he was rooted to the spot. He stuffed his fingers in his ears, but it helped little. Merry started to cry.

How long he sat there, he didn't know. The screams subsided, but were quickly replaced by a lot of scuffling and murmuring. He detected Paladin's voice above it all, hollering something about a lad. Another quarter of an hour passed.

Footsteps entered the sitting room, followed by his mother's voice. "Merry?" She waited a moment, then called again, this time with a slight edge of fear. "Meriadoc?" She followed the sound of his sniffling and peered behind the couch.

"What are you doing back there, Merry-Bear?"

It was a sign of his distress that he did not protest the childhood nickname, which he had vehemently announced about a month ago he was too old for. He crawled out from his hiding place on his hands and knees, and allowed Esmeralda to scoop him up onto her lap.

"Now, what's the matter, dear?"

"Mummy, everybody's frightened and yelling and nobody will tell me what's wrong!" The tears started afresh, rolling unchecked down his cheeks.

"Shh, it's alright, Merry," said Esmeralda, stroking the lad's hair. "Do you remember at Yule, when you noticed something different about Aunt Tina? And we told you she had a little baby in her tummy?"

Merry bit his lip and nodded.

"Well, yesterday morning, that baby decided he wanted to come out, even though he wasn't quite ready yet. And sometimes when that happens, it can make the mommy and the baby very sick. So your father and I set out as soon as we got the message by Quick Post."

"Mummy, is Aunt Tina okay?"

"She's perfectly fine, dearheart, just very tired. Do you want to come and meet your new cousin?"

Merry's eyes lit up. How exciting! Esme wiped the tears off the lad's face with the corner of her sleeve, and set him gently on the floor. He took off at a run, bouncing up the stairs, down the hall and into the master bedoom. There, a circle of relatives was seated on the furniture around Egalentine's bed. Paladin was holding her hand and grinning like a madman. All eyes were on little Pearl, who proudly held her new baby brother in her arms.

"Look, Merry!" she exclaimed when she saw him. She had to kneel down so he could peer into the bundle. The red-faced bairn looked up at him with wide, grey eyes, full of curiousity.

"His name is Peregrin." Pearl explained. "But we're calling him Pippin for short!"

Saradoc whispered something to Egalantine and Paladin. They both nodded.

"Merry, would you like to hold him?"

Merry's own eyes went as wide as saucers. "Oh, Da, please, can I?"

Saradoc lifted the bundle out of Pearl's arms. Peregrin began to fuss and protest at being moved, but quieted down immeadiately when Saradoc deposited him into Merry's outstretched arms.

"He stopped crying! See, he likes me!"

Saradoc kept both hands an inch or so beneath Merry's, as if he expected him to drop the lad. But Merry didn't notice.

"Hello, Pippin!" he said. "I'm Merry. I'm your cousin. And we're going to be bestest friends!"


End file.
